I gave my 70's marlin 30/30 to my 15 y/o son. Sorry I did. It groups sub 1" at 100yds with winchester white box 150gr soft points and a 4x bushnell. It also has the sweetest trigger of any gun I have ever owned including a target worked 1911. My boy had 2, 1 shot kills on whitetail this year and as someone else mentioned 30/30 has probably killed more deer over the years than any other caliber. I love the Marlin microgroove 30/30. In winchesters defense I have never shot one. I would stay away from Marlins around the transition period. I thin early 2000's. I have heard of very poor quality during that time frame.

__________________Concentrated power is not rendered harmless by the good intentions of those who create it.Milton Freidman